“I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome” (Acts 25:25).

This is how Festus, the governor from Rome, introduced Paul to King Agrippa. Paul was under constant threat from his enemies from Jerusalem and was being held by the Romans in Caesarea. Refusing to go to Jerusalem for trial because of the plot to kill him on the journey there, he had appealed to Caesar and would be sent to Rome.

God had already told Paul he was going to Rome. “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’ ” (Acts 23:11). Yet, God had not told him how he was going to get there. Once again God used an unusual method to bring about his plan. He used Paul’s trial and the false accusations against him to arrange his travel to Rome.

God sent Paul to Rome and he used the Roman government to arrange his passage. God does that often. He uses our challenges and difficulties to bring about His plans for us. It’s just another example of Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”